Bluetooth uses audio compression which can drastically impact the sound quality, whereas Apple AirPlay is lossless. In addition, pairing Bluetooth can be a hassle and in many cases, only one device can be paired at a time. With Apple AirPlay, anyone can easily connect to the wireless network and start streaming their music via AirPlay with little or no effort - no pairing needed. Anyone can play DJ. WiFi will also have better range than Bluetooth. Does the AirEnabler work with iOS 9.x? Yes, the AirEnabler will work with iOS 9.x, iOS 8, iOS 7, iOS 6 and even iOS 5 (original iPAD for instance). It's always recommended to run the latest version of iOS that is supported by your device. Will the AirEnabler work with my existing car's Bluetooth hands-free setup? Yes, perfectly. Incoming calls will be handled automatically by your existing Bluetooth hands-free setup. Airplay music will pause for a incoming call (or when making a call) and resume when the call ends. How long does it take for the AirEnabler to boot up? 40 seconds. At which point, you'll be able to connect to the wireless network and start AirPlaying your music. How much power does the AirEnabler use? Around 100ma idle @ 5.4V.  What are the wireless specification for the AirEnabler? Wireless Standard: 802.11b/g/n (2.4Ghz) Transmission rate: 150Mbps Security: 64/128-bit WEP; WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK, WPA / WPA2 Does the AirEnabler support AirPlay Video? No. The AirEnabler is designed specifically for audio only. Streaming the audio portion of a video is possible, but there might be a lag, so this may not be a good use case for the AirEnabler. Note that the audio delay is not unique to the AirEnabler; it's part of the AirPlay protocol. If you want to stream the audio portion of a video, use an app that has an audio delay setting (a customer mentioned AVPlayer HD) to mitigate the issue. Can the AirEnabler be used for synchronized playback from iTunes? Yes and no. The AirEnabler will sync with itself (more than one installed on your network). It may or may not sync correctly with other AirPlay devices such as the AirPort Express or AppleTV. Can I connect the AirEnabler Kit to my existing home wireless network? Yes. The AirEnabler is shipped in what I call Standalone Mode. However it can be reconfigured to Wireless Client Mode or Wired Client Mode and connect to your existing home Wi-Fi network. If you're using the AirEnabler at home, Wireless Client Mode or Wired Client Mode is the recommended mode. Please refer to the Quick Setup Instructions. My car stereo has a USB port (or 30 pin cable) for iPod/iPhone integration, can I use that instead of the 3.5mm audio cable connection? No. However you could use the USB Port to power the AirEnabler eliminating the need for the cigarette USB charger. If you car stereo has a 30 pin cable, you can use a 30 pin to micro usb adapter. How will Siri and Apple Maps Turn by Turn Navigation work with the AirEnabler? Siri does not work through AirPlay. However Apple Maps (and Google Maps) Turn by Turn navigation will work through AirPlay and the AirEnabler (music volume will lower when turn by turn navigation is spoken). Can I use the AirEnabler as a regular router, for instance with a DSL/Cable Modem or at a hotel? No. The AirEnabler Kit is not designed to be used as a regular router. How do I reset my AirEnabler Kit to the default "Standalone Mode"? The AirEnabler can be reset back to "factory" or the default Standalone Mode by using the following instructions:
This is useful if you misconfigured the "Wireless Client Mode" and want to start over from the beginning. Can I change the default SSID name, "AirEnabler_xxxx"? Yes. Run "set-mode standalone" command to change the SSID wireless network name. You will also be able to change the wireless channel and enable encryption. Please refer to the Quick Setup Instructions for additional information. Can I enable encryption (WPA/WPA2) on Wi-Fi network broadcast by the Airenabler? Yes. Run "set-mode standalone" command to change the SSID wireless network name. You will also be able to change the wireless SSID name and wireless channel. Please refer to the Quick Setup Instructions for additional information. How do I change the Apple AirPlay Name from "AirEnabler" to something different? Does the AirEnabler work with Android Devices? Yes, if your device is rooted (required so that audio can be captured from any app), you can use AirAudio or AllStream (formerly AirStream). Note that there are a lot of Android AirPlay apps that will only work with a Apple TV (these apps will not work with the AirEnabler). Also note that LTE/4G connection will not work while connected to the AirEnabler in Standalone mode like on iOS devices. This is an issue with the Android OS and not in my control. I actually do not recommend the AirEnabler for Android only users and would rather avoid the complaints, bad reviews and returns due to these issue, so please understand the issues before buying. Is the AirEnabler compatible with my S/PDIF Digital Input (Optical or Coxial) Receiver? Yes, however you will need to use a aftermarket USB DAC. Please see my Compatible USB Sound Cards / Audio Adapters / DAC page for more info. Can I use a higher end DAC with the AirEnabler? Yes. See my Compatible USB Sound Cards / Audio Adapters / DAC page for more info. |